Charter school students built a city

March 19, 2013

Morning News â€” Leslie Mielke
Receiving a key to the city he helped build was second grader Nathan James. He and his classmates designed and built a city named Diamondville. On Tuesday, each student received a key to Diamondville from Blackfoot Mayor Mike Virtue. Standing behind Virtue are Blackfoot Councilman Robert Bart Brown and Fred Ball, administrator of Bingham Charter Community Learning Center.

Second graders at Blackfoot Charter Community Learning Center (BCCLC) designed and built a city they named Diamondville.
It took the 44 second graders about two months to build this city. Amy Ogden and Katrina Elliott were the teachers working on this project.
The city, Diamondville, measures 12 feet by 15 feet. Some of the features in the city are homes, the mayor's mansion, schools, hotels, McDonald's, a western store, a hospital and veterinarian clinic, other businesses as well as roads, an overpass, a racetrack, railroad and cemetery, with a parking lot.
To decide what was going to be built in Diamondville, the students formed a planning and zoning committee. They voted on what was going to be included in their city.
"They learned about voting "aye (in favor of) or nay (to object to)," said Elliott. "That was a big thing."
Each student worked with a partner. Each team started by drawing a two-dimensional picture of their buildings or project.
They expanded their ideas into three-dimensional objects that they measured, constructed and painted. They also decided how the roads would connect and where the railroad would run.
"They learned about cooperation, compromise, working with partners and pride in their work," said Elliott.
So what did the students learn?
"I learned how to work with a partner," said Brooklyn Adams.
"I worked on the racetrack," said Kadin Bangerter.
"I worked on a school, hotel, grocery store and houses," said Alexa Corona.
Kirsten Harris said she learned, "We can work together."